Scrap reclamation

Abstract

A system for removing oil, water and other adulterants from machine shop scrap cuttings. Scrap is inserted in the upper end of an inclined tumbler barrel and passed through a counterflowing stream of hot gases from a burner located at the lower end. Oxygen is inserted into the tumbler barrel at an intermediate position. The barrel is lined with refractory inserts each having contiguous connecting passages of different diameters. The scrap is raised to a temperature near its melting point and compacted into briquettes while remaining hot. Excess fuel gas flow and combustion prevent the aspiration of air into the barrel and thus prevent oxidation of the metal part of the scrap. As an alternative, the scrap can be melted as it flows from the tumbler barrel directly into a melting pot.

I claim: 
     
       1. An apparatus for reclaiming metal from adulterated metal chips by removing surface adhering adulterants from the chips, the apparatus comprising: a. an inclined tumbler barrel rotatably mounted to a frame .Iadd.and having its lower end open.Iaddend.;   b. means for rotatably driving the barrel;   c. heating means for heating and injecting gas into the lower end of the barrel;   d. exit means at the lower end of the barrel for removing hot chips from the barrel .Iadd.comprising a non-rotatable cylindrical tube, having an opening in its under side, and aligned with the open lower end of the tumbler barrel and an open-ended hopper aligned with the opening in the under side of the cylindrical tube.Iaddend.; and   e. means comprising a .[.plunger and a.]. .Iadd.moveable .Iaddend.mating compacting .[.cylinder, for compacting said hot chips and positioned to.]. .Iadd.box having an open top and at times movable into alignment with the lower open end of said hopper and so become positioned to .Iaddend.receive the hot chips from the exit means;   wherein adulterated chips may be inserted in the upper end of the barrel while being drivingly rotated, hot gas may be passed from the lower end of the barrel to and out the higher end, and hot metal chips relatively free of surface adhering adulterants may be withdrawn through the exit means; and   wherein a removable bottom panel is provided to close the bottom of the compacting .[.cylinder.]. .Iadd.box.Iaddend., an open top is provided to receive chips, and the plunger is provided with drive means for linear axial movement of the plunger into the .[.cylinder.]. .Iadd.box.Iaddend., wherein chips may be inserted in the .[.cylinder.]. .Iadd.box.Iaddend., compressed between the plunger and the bottom panel, and ejected from the cylinder by removal of the bottom panel and movement of the plunger.   
     
     
       2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a. the exit means comprises a hopper for receiving chips from the barrel, the hopper being provided with an open bottom;   b. a table is provided which the cylinder sealingly and slidably engages to close its bottom end; and   c. a platform is fixed to and extends from the top edge of the cylinder and is sealingly slidably engageable with the bottom of the hopper;   wherein the cylinder is alternatively positionable (1) with said platform sealingly engaging the bottom of the hopper and the bottom of cylinder closed by said table, (2) with the bottom of the cylinder sealingly engaged by the table and the cylinder beneath the bottom opening of the hopper for receiving chips therefrom; and (3) with said platform sealingly engaging the bottom of the hopper and the table removed from engagement with the bottom of the cylinder.   
     
     
       3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the table has a removable panel for opening the bottom of the cylinder. 
     
     
       4. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the table, the platform and the open bottom of the hopper are planar and parallel. 
     
     
       5. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the barrel is lined with a plurality of refractory inserts each insert comprising a solid body having an exterior formed to snugly fit within the tumbler barrel and each insert having a passageway therethrough comprising cylindrical contiguous, connecting passages of different diameters and wherein the heating means comprises: a. a source of fuel under pressure,   b. means for supplying fuel to the burner at a rate which causes gas to be emitted from the space between the burner and the barrel and prevents the aspiration of air through said space, the means comprising     a gas burner positioned at the lower end of the barrel and spaced therefrom, the burner having a sufficiently large nozzle orifice.   
     
     
       6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein conduit means, for inserting an oxidizing agent into the barrel at a position intermediate its ends, is provided, said conduit means extending into one end of the barrel, having an outlet orifice within the barrel and there is also provided means external of the barrel for connection to a supply of said agent. .[.7. An apparatus for reclaiming metal from adulterated metal chips by removing surface adhering adulterants from the chips, the apparatus comprising: a. an inclined tumbler barrel rotatably mounted to a frame;   b. means for rotatably driving the barrel;   c. heating means for heating and injecting gas into the lower end of the barrel;   d. exit means at the lower end of the barrel for removing hot chips from the barrel; and   e. means in addition to and separate from said heating means for inserting an oxidizing agent into the barrel at a position intermediate its ends   wherein adulterared chips may be inserted in the upper end of the barrel while being drivingly rotated, hot gas may be passed from the lower end of the barrel to and out the higher end, and hot metal chips relatively free of surface adhering adulterants may be withdrawn through the exit means..]. .[.8. An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said oxidizing agent inserting means comprises a tube entirely separate from any burner tube extending into one end of the barrel, the tube having an outlet orifice within the barrel and having means external to the barrel for connection solely to a supply of said oxidizing agent..]. .[.9. An apparatus for reclaiming metal from adulterated metal chips by removing surface adhering adulterants from the chips, the apparatus comprising:   a. an inclined tumbler barrel rotatably mounted to a frame and lined with a plurality of generally cylindrical refractory inserts;   b. means for rotatably driving the barrel;   c. heating means for heating and injecting gas into the lower end of the barrel; and   d. exit means at the lower end of the barrel for removing hot chips from the barrel;   wherein adulterated chips may be inserted in the upper end of the barrel while being drivingly rotated, hot gas may be passed from the lower end of the barrel to and out the higher end, and hot metal chips relatively free of surface adhering adulterants may be withdrawn through the exit   
     
     
        means..]. 10. An apparatus .[.according to claim 9.]. .Iadd.for reclaiming metal from adulterated metal chips by removing surface adhering adulterants from the chips, the apparatus comprising: a. an inclined tumbler barrel rotatably mounted to a frame and lined with a plurality fo generally cylindrical refractory inserts;   b. means for rotatably driving the barrel;   c. heating means for heating and injecting gas into the lower end of the barrel; and   d. exit means at the lower end of the barrel for removing hot chips from the barrel;   wherein adulterated chips may be inserted in the upper end of the barrel while being drivingly rotated, hot gas may be passed from the lower end of the barrel to and out the higher end, and hot metal chips relatively free of surface adhering adulterants may be withdrawn through the exit means, .Iaddend.wherein each of the inserts comprises a solid body having an exterior formed to snugly fit within the tumbler barrel and having a passageway therethrough comprising a plurality of contiguous connecting   
     
     
        passages, the passages being of different diameters. 11. An apparatus according to claim 10 wherein several of said inserts are each additionally provided with an off center passage communicating with the cylindrical passages, the off center passages of the inserts being 
     
     
        misaligned to provide a tortuous path through the tumbler barrel. 12. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein each of the passages is 
     
     
        cylindrical and is coaxial with the barrel axis. 13. A rotatable tumbler barrel having an interior for improved distribution of a solid material, flowing through the barrel within an envelope consisting of a counterflow of hot gaseous combustion products flowing through the barrel, the improvement which comprises: an interior wall formed by a plurality of ceramic inserts forming a passageway through the barrel, the passageway comprising a multiplicity of adjoining passages, the passages being of different diameters and the ceramic inserts each having a plurality of cylindrical interior surfaces, one cylindrical surface of each insert having a different diameter from   
     
     
        another cylindrical surface of said insert. 14. A barrel according to claim 13, wherein the passages are cylindrical, contiguous, and connecting, and form a continuous although irregular passageway through 
     
     
        the barrel. 15. A barrel according to claim 14, wherein the passages are co-axial, whereby the solid material drops from one diameter to another during its progress through the tumbler barrel.